66 -- NANOINDENTER/NANOMECHANICAL TEST INSTRUMENT

Notice Date

August 29, 2000

Adminstrative Office

National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

ZIP Code

20899-3572

Solicitation Number

53SBNB060171

Response Due

September 11, 2000

Point of Contact

Fred Ettehadieh, Contract Specialist, 301-975-8329, Alba Sanchez, Contracting Officer, 301-975-6344.

E-Mail Address

NIST Contracts Office (Contract@nist.gov)

Description

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation, #53SBNB060171, is Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-18. The associated Standards Industrial Classification Code (SIC) for this procurement is 3674, and the small business size is 500 Employees. This acquisition is unrestricted. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for a Modified Nanoindenter/Nanomechanical Test Instrument to be used by the Ceramic Division capable of measuring the micro-mechanical properties of nanometer and sub nanometer thick lubricating films with solid and liquid like behaviors, and the ability to measure organic liquid molecules as used in magnetic hard disk (data storage) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). A state-of-the art research instrument is required to measure friction, shear strength, and nanomechanical properties of one nanometer thick (or less) organic films on silicon, diamond like carbon surfaces as encountered in the magnetic hard disks and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Contract Line Item Number CLIN 0001, Naoindente/Nanomechanical Test Instrument, meeting the minimum technical requirements and specifications listed below, one (1) each. The minimum technical requirements and specifications for CLIN 0001 are as follows: The instrument shall be capable of moving film-coated specimens on a stage while a tip touches the film for mechanical testing. The instrument shall have the capability to quantitatively measure normal force, lateral force and displacement with ultra-high precision for a large range of indentation/sliding speeds and tip sizes. The force and displacement sensors shall work with a stage integral to the machine or be able to be mounted on an external piezo/stepper motor controlled stage that can achieve XYZ movements with the required precision. It is essential that the force and displacement sensors be portable so that they can be attached to another stage or instrument for achieving still higher ranges of speed and displacement, if required. The instrument shall be able of performing AFM type of imaging of pre- and post- indented/worn surfaces with ultra-high precision in tip placement. Additionally, the instrument shall work in conjunction with a commercial AFM machine, Digital Instrument in existence at NIST, for in-situ imaging of the test surfaces or provide separately the same capability. The instrument shall have the ability to move a film covered specimen in XYZ directions with high precision and measure normal and lateral forces when the tip of an indenter is brought in contact and slid against the thin film. The surface of the specimens will have a roughness of ansgtrom to a max. Ra of 10 nanometer typical of surfaces used in magnetic hard disk and MEMs devices with a nanometer thick lubricating film. Force Sensors, Normal force: Ranges: 0-100 nN; 100 nN -- 30 mN; Resolution: 1 nN for the lower range and 1 mN for the higher range force sensors; Force Sensors, Lateral force: Ranges: 0- 10 mN; Resolution: 3 microN; Displacement Sensor, Displacement Range: 5 micrometer in the normal direction with a resolution of 0.2 nm; minimum total 30 micrometer in the lateral direction with resolution of less than 5 nm; Noise resonance frequency: minimum 120 Hz; Noise floor: less than 2 Angstrom for displacement and less than 100 nN for normal force; Thermal drift: less than 0.05 nm/s; Minimum heat generation in the transducer system for fast warm-up and operation of the machine; Speed: Range: 1 nm/s -- 1 micrometer per square; Tip shape and size: For the scanning and nanoindenter, conical tips with tip radius 5-20 nm, for the microindenter, spherical tips with diameters in the range 0.5-800 micron; Conical tips which included cone angles between 30 to 120 degrees with tip radius less than 1 micrometer; Vickers indenter and Berkovich indenter. The software shall have the ability to control the movement of the stage and measure forces at low (10 per second) to high sampling rates (1000 per second). The software shall also have modules for the analysis and presentations of data. The software shall be able to run an external stepper motor controlled XY stage and be compatible with Digital Instrument's AFM Nanoscope III in existence at NIST as well. **** The successful offeror shall deliver CLIN 0001, FOB Destination to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001; delivery time shall be consistent with industry standards but should not be later than 60 days after receipt of the purchase order (ARO). FOB shall be Destination, Gaithersburg, MD. ****Quotations will be evaluated in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 13.106-2-Evaluation of quotations or offers. Award will be made based on vendors' (A) Technical Capability to Meet Specifications (vendors shall address all specifications, and shall provide indication of understanding and ability to meet the requirements); (B) Past Performance/Experience; and (C) Price. Factors (A) and (B), when combined, are more important than Factor (C). *****The Government anticipates awarding one purchase order resulting from this combined synopsis/solicitation to the responsible vendor whose quotation, conforming to this synopsis/solicitation, will offer the BEST VALUE to the Government, price and other factors considered. *****All offerors shall address all requirements in this combined synopsis/solicitation, and shall provide clear evidence of understanding and the ability and willingness to comply with the Government's specifications of need. Failure to address a specification/requirement will be construed by the Government as inability to meet the need, or the vendor's taking exception to it. ***** All Offerors must submit with their quotes, a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial items with their offer, which can be down loaded from http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/repcert.htm.*****The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision applies to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; ***** The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.*****The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition, including subparagraphs (11) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; (12) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; (13) 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (14) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; (15) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (17)(ii) Alternate I of 52.225-3, Buy American Act-North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act-Balance of Payments Program; (19) 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; (20) 52.225-15, Sanctioned European Union Country End Products; (22) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. Other clauses that apply to this acquisition is 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software -- Restricted Rights. The full texts for the above FAR clauses are available at the following Internet address www.arnet.gov/far/. Year 2000 Warranty-Commercial -Supply Item applies to this acquisition. The Contractor warrants-that each hardware, software and firmware product delivered under this contract and listed above shall be able to accurately process date data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing and sequencing) from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including leap year calculations, when used in accordance with the product documentation provided by the contractor, provided that all listed or unlisted products (e.g. hardware, software, firmware) used in combination with such listed products properly exchange date data with it. If the contract requires that specific listed products must perform as a system in accordance with the foregoing warranty, then that warranty shall apply to those listed products as a system. The duration of this warranty and the remedies available to the Government for breach of this warranty shall be as defined in, and subject to, the terms and limitations of the contractor's standard commercial warranty or warranties contained in this contract, provided that notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in such commercial warranty or warranties, the remedies available to the Government under this warranty shall include repair or replacement of any listed product whose non-compliance is discovered and made known to the contractor in writing within ninety (90) days after acceptance. Nothing in this warranty shall be construed to limit any rights or remedies the Government may otherwise have under this contract with respect to defects other than Year 2000 performance. Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level Above the Contracting Officer, which can be downloaded at http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm. All offerors shall submit the following: 1) Three (3) copies of quotation which addresses CLIN 0001; 2) Technical description and/or product literature including: complete and detailed documentation for all hardware, software, and instructions for the use of the software; 3) Description of commercial warranty; 4) Two (2) copies of the most recent published price list; 5) A list of three (3) contracts/purchase orders completed during the past five (5) years for similar/comparable equipment with the following information: name of contracting activity, contract number, contract type, total contract value, contracting office and telephone number, e-mail address and program manager and telephone number; 6) A completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Item, see web site above; and, 7) Description of Software License Agreement, if applicable; "This is to advise you that if you intend to propose a software licensing agreement, it must comport with applicable Federal laws, regulations and otherwise satisfy the Government's needs". All offers should be sent to the National Institute of Standard and Technology, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Attn.: Fred Ettehadieh, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 3572, Building 301, Room B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572. For information, call the POC identified above. Submission must be received by 3:00 p.m. local time on 9/11/2000. Faxed quotes will NOT be accepted.

Web Link

NIST Contracts Homepage (http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20000831/66SOL017.HTM (W-242 SN491096)